abstract: Role of Fluorine 18 Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography–Computed Tomography in Focal and Generalized Infectious and Inflammatory Disorders

Role of Fluorine 18 Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography–Computed Tomography in Focal and Generalized Infectious and Inflammatory Disorders

Abstract

"Several advances in imaging have become part of the work-up for localization, diagnosis, and management of infectious diseases and inflammatory disorders. Utility of multiple imaging modalities is a time-consuming step, and significant numbers of patients remain undiagnosed despite utilization of series of tests. Inflammatory cells have avidity for fluorine 18–labeled fluorodeoxyglucose (¹⁸F-FDG), and thus positron emission tomographic–computed tomographic (PET-CT) hybrid imaging provides anatomical and metabolic information that can be used to define the extent of infectious and inflammatory diseases and assess response to treatment. PET-CT provides a “one-stop test” in which use of hybrid imaging provides anatomical and metabolic information. The extent of disease is defined quickly, and response to treatment can be assessed. This modality also helps define the metastatic and/or septic foci where there is lack of localizing symptoms. More recently, there is increasing awareness among clinicians regarding the ability of PET-CT to help in diagnosing, characterizing, and assessing inflammatory disorders. This article reviews the usefulness of this imaging modality."

Contagious Cancer - The Oncologist

Of interest: note reference to organ transplant (not new news but under-recognized??)

"INTRODUCTION 
In the cancer clinic, physicians and other oncology caregivers are
occasionally asked whether cancer can ever be passed along from
one individual to another. One example is the wife who asks whether
she could ever "catch" cancer from her husband with prostate cancer.
Although the answer to that one is no, the question of a man "catching"
cancer from a partner with cervical cancer is not unrealistic since
various strains of human papilloma virus are known causes of cervical
cancer as well as penile cancer. Pathogens including certain viruses,
bacteria, and parasites represent major causes of cancer in developing
parts of the world. In fact, an estimated 1.5 million cases per year or
15% of all cancers worldwide can be attributed to infectious
etiologies, mostly due to viral infections...."cont'd